The protest for the release of three activists from the environmental NGO Mother Nature entered its sixth day yesterday, with another rally in front of Koh Kong provincial court &ndash; where some members of the youthful NGO have been camping out. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/mother-nature-continues-court-rally/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Despite attention from Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and official development assistance, farmers are by far the largest source of investment in agriculture, the State of Food and agriculture 2012 report by the Food and agriculture Organization published last week said. Farmers in low and middle income <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/farmers-biggest-source-of-investment-in-agriculture/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodian workers for the U.S.- owned Caltex petrol stations in Phnom Penh continued their strike for higher wages Wednesday after wage negotiations late Tuesday failed to reach any agreement. Strike leader Sar Mora, president of the Cambodian Food and Service Workers Federation, said some 300 Caltex <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/strike-by-cambodian-caltex-staff-enters-3rd-day-after-wage-talks-fail/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Faced with slower growth at home and rising labour costs, Chinese entrepreneurs are seeking foreign markets as never before.But as they rush abroad, they are grappling for the first time with unruly trade unions and meddlesome journalists. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/chinese-companies-face-culture-shock/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith on Friday said Voice of america (VOa) and Radio Free asia (RFa) would be allowed to reopen their offices only after fulfilling their tax obligations. In a letter dated January 25 to the Ministry of Foreign affairs and International Cooperation, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/all-media-outlets-must-pay-tax/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A Dutch government wAtchdog group Accepted A complAint lAst FridAy Alleging thAt sociAl investor Oikocredit contributed to Abuses in CAmbodiA’s microfinAnce sector. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/complAint-AdvAnces-AgAinst-investor-oikocredit-for-role-in-microfinAnce-sectors-Abuses/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Cambodia’s microfinance sector is continuing to grow at a rapid pace, with loan disbursements in the first six months of this year increasing almost 50 percent on last year, according to an industry association. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/microfinance-loans-up-47-percent-in-first-6-months/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Ministry of Information is inspecting the content of TV commercials accused of damaging social values following a request for intervention from the Ministry of Culture and Fine arts. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/ministry-cracks-down-on-coarse-tv-adverts/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The Bar association of the Kingdom of Cambodia (BaKC) announced that over a period of 100 days they had provided free legal representation in 2,167 cases on behalf of poor people. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/over-2000-receive-free-legal-aid/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

A CAmbodiAn lAbour union this week sent A letter to the JApAnese EmbAssy, Asking for help deAling with reported violence AgAinst workers At A JApAnese-owned gArment fActory in KAmpong Speu province. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/union-Asks-jApAnese-to-exAmine-AssAults/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

Despite the fact that beverage consumption in Cambodia is on the rise, government statistics show that imports of alcohol and non-alcoholic products in the first half of 2013 have declined by 51 per cent year-on-year. The seemingly conflicting figures left some scratching their heads. Meng Saktheara, <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/drop-off-in-beverage-imports-questioned/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Workers in Cambodia’s capital earning less than $120 per month are living below the poverty line, according to the Ministry of Planning’s own calculation. at a September 17 workshop on the garment industry minimum wage, International Labor Organization Cambodia national director Tun Sophorn cited Ministry of <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/poverty-line-120-govt-says/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The National assembly decided to summon three ministers to answer lawmakers’ questions on the work performance of their respective ministries, a lawmaker said Friday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/more-ministers-to-be-questioned-in-national-assembly/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Budget business hotel group Toyoko Inn hope to draw East asian businesspeople and travellers to Phnom Penh The Toyoko Inn, which is a joint venture between the Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation (OCIC) and a Japanese budget, business hotel chain, is slated to open in May 2015. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/japanese-chain-to-open-hotel-in-2015/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Cambodia’s upgrade to lower-middle income status and looming competition from an E.U.-Vietnam trade deal pose major risks to the country’s garment and footwear export industry, a European business representative said on Thursday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/competition-economic-status-leave-garment-sector-at-risk/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are key factors in the Kingdom’s industrial sector growth, but around 95 per cent of Cambodia’s SMEs have not been properly registered, the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft said on Friday. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/ministry-smes-vital-to-economy-but-95-not-registered/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

The US State Department has expressed deep concern over Cambodia’s spiralling democratic climate following the government’s diktat to shutter the USaID-funded National Democratic Institute (NDI), ostensibly for violating the highly contentious NGO Law. <a href='https://opendevelopmentcambodia.net/news/us-criticises-troubling-steps-against-press-ngos/ ' class='cambodia-color'>...a>

AheAd of Prime Minister Hun MAnet’s scheduled visit to AustrAliA next month, privAte sector Along with relevAnt ministries And institutions Are working on the modAlities to AttrAct investment pArtners from AustrAliA And boost exports to AustrAliA of semi-finished And processed products. <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/cAmbodiA-seeks-to-boost-investment-from-AustrAliA/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

The AsiAn gArment mAnufActuring industry will undergo further segmentAtion in the next three to four yeArs As competition becomes more intense, experts sAid. ChinA, ThAilAnd And VietnAm will mAinly produce high-end clothing, while BAnglAdesh, LAos, BurmA And CAmbodiA will mAinly produce low-end clothing. Lu QijiAn, <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/AsiAn-gArment-industry-to-undergo-further-segmentAtion/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>

A new study by the U.S. NAtionAl Institutes of HeAlth (NIH) hAs confirmed thAt resistAnce is growing to one of the key drugs being used to fight mAlAriA in CAmbodiA, A situAtion likely to worsen And which could leAd to A growing cAseloAd in the <A href='https://opendevelopmentcAmbodiA.net/news/lAtest-mAlAriA-drug-resistAnce-spArks-feArs/ ' clAss='cAmbodiA-color'>...A>